‘I’m glad to meet you,’ Nora replies, putting the emphasis in all the wrong places.

‘I wasn’t expecting you. You should have warned me.’ The note of accusation in Gwen’s voice stings.

‘I’m sorry.’

‘Oh, Gwen!’ Nora laughs. ‘Where’s your sense of romance? I’m sure Jack wanted to surprise you – and what a surprise it is! You must be delighted.’ She grins, apparently relishing the fact that Gwen is clearly not.

Gwen touches the belt of Tom’s arms around her legs. ‘Well, let’s get this finished up and we’ll go and get a cup of tea.’ She retrieves her fallen scythe. ‘You can go on up to the house and wait if you like,’ she says to Jack.

He watches Tom as he scurries back to the shade of the oak tree. ‘No …’ he says quietly. ‘I think I’ll stay here until you’re done. If you have no objections?’ he adds, taking a careful step forwards, conscious Nora has finally returned her attention to her labours.

‘I don’t mind,’ Gwen says at last.

But it looks for all the world as if she does.

Gwen cuts the remaining hay with a vigour fuelled by terror and suspicion. She cannot fathom the reason for Jack’s return, but she fears he intends to extract some recompense for the service he has rendered.

They walk back to the house as soon as the hay is done. Jack offers to carry Gwen’s scythe, but she shakes her head, then calls Tom to come. He scampers to her side, clawing for her hand, even though he can see her hands are full. It is all she can do not to snap at him, hot and irritated as she is. And anxious. Above all, she is anxious, but then, she realises, so is he. The man before him has never been more than a monochrome image but now he has materialised in living, breathing Technicolor – it is understandable that Tom should be perturbed. How can she possibly expect him to adapt to Jack’s arrival without fear or question? God knows, she has questions enough of her own. And she is afraid.

Tom drops back to the safety of Nora’s side. The Land Girl’s curiosity is so blatant it is almost obscene, and Gwen wishes she hadn’t witnessed Jack’s return. It will make his imminent departure all the more difficult to explain, but explain it she will, for the one certainty she has been clinging to since seeing him walk up the field is that he cannot stay. She will not allow it. There is no place for Jack in their lives. He made her a promise, a promise he has reneged on, and now she is terrified to discover the reason why.